Appeal that allows a cheater to play and influence outcome of games is a flaw in the system. An appeal process that goes on for approximately 6 weeks is ridiculous. Why not suspend without pay and if the appeal is upheld then player is made whole.

I disagree. During the appeal the player was allowed to engage in and likely effect the outcome of regular season games — and it turns out that he is a cheater. Marte is only sorry that he got caught and a cheater should not be allowed to play in regular season games. How many appeals under the substance abuse program has been overturned? I cannot recall even 1

He tested positive in Spring Training so there is a whole month before the start of the season so the drug is for sure out of his system by the time the regular season happens. Plus this was the same as all other guys Dee Gordon Chris Collabello etc. its the same with a suspension for throwing at someones head. You can play during the appeal process but unlike those suspensions you cant take it whenever. The only reason Ryan Braun wasnt able to play is because it was at the end of the year he got caught.

the effects of steroids do not just disappear over a brief period of time but the point is that he is an admitted cheater who was allowed (under the current procedures) to play and have bearing on regular season games. My point remains the same, I believe the process should be changed.

But the number of games he influenced does not change, only their timing does.

He influenced 10 games, then serves his suspension, then comes back and influences the remaining 72. If he didn’t appeal, he’s serve his suspension, then come back and influence 82 games instead. Either way, he’s influencing a total of 82 games.

Whether those games were played before or after his suspension has no significance at all. 80 games is 80 games.

Obviously games cannot be made up, but if league has done its job of investigating and assuring that there is just cause (you can look up the 7 steps for just cause) then the immediate suspension is warranted and unlikely to be overturned. How many suspensions have been overturned completely through the appeals process? I cannot recall even 1.

Correct. He said the collector probably tampered with his sample after he collected it. Of course we all know the aftermath of that accusation. I agree it’s hard to suspend players without going through the appeals process, but I feel if you fess up once you are confronted then you should perhaps be suspended 50 games, but if you appeal and lose then they should add another 50 games onto the suspension. This would encourage the cheaters to fess up and own their $hit or risk losing out of twice as much income (and time away from the game) and also the possible backlash from players and fans. Just a thought.

Exactly Dookie Howser! If they win their appeal and they are suspended how do they make those games up? So you cannot say they cant play during the appeal process. Its just like in court you are innocent until proven guilty. They cant just say your suspended starting now.

This has been asked multiple times now with no answers, but I’ll ask it again – How many suspensions have been completely overturned through the appeal process? The only one I’m aware of is Braun, and that was because of a technicality, and it shouldn’t have been overturned to begin with.

PEDs will always be an issue, with players trying to circumvent the system until the punishments become too harsh for them to consider it. The only proposal that I believe would drastically deter usage:

No suspensions or anything like that, just go for the money. Anyone who tests positive for PEDs automatically forfeits whatever contract they have, and for the rest of their baseball career their annual earnings are capped at the same as an everyday average American, or about $52,000 per year. I’d also include a clause in their contracts that prohibits them from accepting income/contracts from any outside organization, i.e., endorsements, while also having a contract to play major league baseball.

Players use PEDs for one reason…to get paid. And I’m not faulting them. If I was in their position, with a chance to hit on an 8 or 9 figure deal for a couple of years worth of PEDs—and risking the prospect of an 80 game suspension—well, it sure beats the heck out of the alternative that far more athletes face. But if they want it completely eliminated from the game, attach lifetime penalties to the MONEY

Voiding contracts for PED usage would never fly for a number of reasons. The Union would never concede to it, for starters. But beyond that, can you imagine the ridiculous legal nightmares that would ensue if a player with several years to go on a terrible contract suddenly tested positive? Say Ryan Howard had tested positive in 2013 — right or wrong, the immediate speculation would be that someone with the team slipped him something to get out from underneath the contract.

And while it’s unfortunate to say, it’s also not entirely inconceivable to think that it could actually happen. There are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in these contracts, and tearing up a terrible deal would be enormously beneficial to both a team and an owner.

I’d also disagree with the notion that players solely use PEDs to get paid. Marte is a prime example; he’s got $31MM already locked up and wasn’t going to be a free agent for another four years. His use wasn’t about securing more money, unless you think he’s been juicing for his entire career, with regularity, and was able to skirt the punishment until now. Considering he tested positive for a blatant anabolic steroid, that seems unlikely, albeit certainly not impossible (especially if he previously used more discreet substances).

There are numerous reasons for a player to take a performance enhancing drug (which Passan’s column does a nice job of outlining), not the least of which is expediting rehab from an injury. That’s not said to excuse Marte, but simply to suggest that PED usage wouldn’t go away with even the most extreme penalties. Players would still take illegal substances to try to prolong their careers, perhaps for no other reason than because they love playing and want to remain competitive.

Ultimately, I just can’t envision a scenario where players are ever going to stop trying to circumvent the rules. It’s an industry where tens or hundreds of millions of dollars are up for grabs. No amount of punishment will stop people from seeking an edge through channels that are expressly forbidden by the game’s rules when there’s that type of reward on the table.

That’s a good point on the voiding of contracts–no way MLBPA would consent, and you can easily see the potential taint of it in true dead contracts where the player is being paid anyway.
And logic doesn’t always hold here. Marte was already locked in.. and he wasn’t in a contract year and there’s no reason to think there would be an extension, especially with the affordable options.. So there were virtually no incentive for Marte to juice–but he did.
Finally, Steve’s last observation is almost certainly correct. No matter what the penalty, some players are going to be tempted to cheat. The money–and the ego–are too big an inducement. Athletes in all sports have been found to use PEDs. Nature of the beast.

Teams and players *both* benefit from PED usage, I believe that MLB should a) suspend first-time offenders 80 games, b) void the player’s contract, c) force the player’s team to pay the balance of the voided contract regardless of its value or duration as a fine, d) prohibit the player and any team from signing him to any more than a one-year contract the next offseason after he returns from the suspension, and e) impose an additional year of team control and arbitration eligibility on the player effective the second offseason after his return from the suspension–regardless of whether the player had accrued 6 years of service time by the end of his first full season back.

Team and player penalties of that nature would certainly dis-incentivize bad behavior on both sides and finally hold management accountable for its role in the continued use of PEDs.

However, I agree with Steve that the MLBPA is unlikely to ever approve voiding contracts under any circumstances and am therefore skeptical any policy with real teeth will be implemented any time soon.

I also agree that the player’s association would never agree to such penalties, and the owners wouldn’t ever even attempt to push something like this through. Everyone in baseball benefits from PED usage…it saved the game after the strike in ’94, and put people in seats.

I don’t ever expect the game to be 100% clean because the people that it affects would rather have eye-popping numbers and performances than a clean game. People today have limited attention spans, and need constant stimulation…something that performance-enhancing drugs create.

Revocation of contract for the player, team pays contract money to MLBPA retirement system, loss of all MLB service time for player (he is a rookie again).

Either than or the same punishments as amateur sports. 2 years first offfense. 2nd offense permanent.

Either will be a deterrent. What we have now isn’t. If a cheating player just takes a long vacation then comes back and gets more money then the system is fatally flawed. It is rewarding cheating, not deterring it. It isn’t enough to just say there will always be cheating and what we have is enough. Its time for MLB to come up with actions that actually penalize the player who is cheating.

If you do some research, you’ll find that they’re not as unsafe as you think in responsible doses. I actually remember reading something a few years ago, from the FDA or something like that, which labelled as (in prescribed doses), tylenol, ibuprofen and aspirin as some of the absolute worst medication for your body, and while there were some steroids on that list, they were faaaar down that list.

It’s the people that abuse them that have the best chance at the health issues.

I’ve posted numerous comments on this site about the on-going use of ped’s in baseball and the lack of over sight and punishment. Look at Rizzo’s statements…”I’ve been drug tested zero times this year. Not once since the beginning-of-Spring-Training standard drug test. Guys are going to get away with it as long as they can and obviously everybody’s going to say they didn’t know they were doing it.” That says it all. ..and if people think Marte is the only guy doing it then they are missing the forest for the trees.

The Buster Olney article is so pathetic its almost comical. We shouldnt even give him the privilege of having it linked here. He seems to think Marte was a replacement level player before and will be even worse when he comes back. He must of used a first round fantasy pick on him

What are you talking about? Did you even read the article? The Olney article says the exact opposite. The Pirates were betting big on Marte being the centerpiece of the their franchise for years to come – and no year more important than this one when they still had McCutchen on the team. Olney says that without Marte, Pittsburgh is losing one of its best shots a deep playoff run this year, which would have been huge for a small market franchise.

He specifically says Marte’s contract will not provide any value. Marte has already provided enough value to cover the whole contract. Plus the many examples of guys coming back to perform at a high level after the suspension

No, he does not “specifically” say that Marte’s contract will not provide any value. What he said is that Marte’s value to the organization has plummeted. If you read the context of the article, you would understand that Olney is saying that the real investment that the Pirates made in Marte was the devotion of their limited resources (including not only the $31million, but also the years to scout and train) with the goal of being competitive in this narrow window. By Marte being out this season, the chances of a deep playoff push for the Pirates declined even more.

I agree with you that Marte’s contract is still a steal once he comes back, and I am sure Olney would as well. What he is saying that Marte’s value to Pittsburgh collapsed since when he comes back, they may have missed their window. Think of kind of a lesser Mike Trout wasting away in Anaheim situation

And what Olney misses with those comments is the fact that the window was likely already closed before this suspension happened. Unless they planned on making a significant trade this summer, this was a pretty mediocre team going into the year.

If they decriminalize it, can you imagine the $$ MLB would have to pay out 30-50 years from now settling lawsuits because of health issues/deaths that arise because they allowed it? No chance they flip 180 after all the work and money they have put into the policies over the past 15 years.

blah, isnt that kind of saying if you decriminalize cocaine that its going to pour into colleges, high schools and children? if your gonna do it, your gonna do it. i dont smoke and when marijuana was made legal, i didnt decide to start smoking. if im a borderline major leaguer and steroids could get me a multi million dollar contract, i might consider it wether its legal or not. in the end, your personal morals should win

I am a life long Pirates fan and I am very disappointed by Marte actions. I also feel sorry for these players who has or have not tested for PEDs. The system is flawed and should be adjusted. I also think that MLB needs to invest money into developing healthy muscle relaxers. These players play 164 games 6-7 months out of the year. More games played as some make it to the postseason. The beating that baseball puts on these players, can break down the average human. From slides to being “plucked” by a pitch, these guys take a lot of physical punishment.

I think that this also goes beyond baseball too. MLB is not the only sport that humans (players) take a physical beating throughout a long season. I can only imagine guys like Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Roberson, Joe Carter, Clemente, or any other hall of famer, used to “help” their careers. The aches and pains are real even for past, present, and future players. I find the “medicine” MLB provides for players, isn’t enough to prevent players from wanting to go outside of baseball for possible “healing”.

Now I realize with writers and critics want to say this player is a cheater. All cheaters need longer and harshest of penalties. How harsh is a penalty can you get if you will NEVER see the HoF regardless of how great you where after testing for PEDs. Just ask Pete Rose what it feels like to be isolated from HoF and baseball itself. You want harshest of penalties, then fix the testing system so test are only random to a few players a season. Don’t start “banning” players because the system is corrupted. I felt the same way when Bruan was suspended years ago. If you can’t test all MLB players, they don’t test at all. Anyone with money can “buy” themselves out of a drug test. You don’t hear too many big name players testing positive for PEDs. Just like Rizzo said, “I don’t even get tested”, it speaks volumes of where MLB is at in its “strict” drug testing policy. Fix what is broke before you send out bigger suspensions.

Oh boohoo..these players make millions and the cost of penalties doesn’t outweigh the allure of the contracts. Until the system of guaranteed contracts and being payed for past performance in long term contracts are corrected players will cheat to get ahead. Rose cheated the game in a totally different way..oh and by the way these players could give a crap about the HOF. This is instant gratification,take it now pay me now and I’ll worry about the consequences millions later!

You sound about as biased as any noob would. Pete cheated baseball like these people cheated baseball. On the contrary, him being isolated from baseball, it a reference to what it would be like with banning players with PEDs. Some will make poor decisions. Price will be paid but I seriously doubt harshest of penalties will solve the problem.

These players are humans and not machines. They deal with a lot of physical contact that the normal average person doesn’t deal with daily. Travel and time zones also plays part in each players physical endurance. These guys get paid millions, but that doesn’t mean they should be justified by their pay. Anyone with millions of dollars are subject to substance abuse. Actors and singers are just a few that have had some sort of illegal “substance” in their body. From PEDs to your common Marijuana, each person is capable of using it.

But back to the real problem, these players are not a machines. Even machines break down over continuous use. They are humans as we are. They deserve a better system to help themselves stay healthy and fit through the course of their season or career. There is no clear direction for baseball to provide medical treatment to the abuse these athletes take. They don’t test every player in a season. Some players may never be tested for PEDs. The system is still flawed and suspensions or bans should be left alone until MLB fixes their flaws. As much as MLB makes in a season, they can afford to test every player. MLB lacks the support of their players since the start of professional ball. Unless ownership of all 30 clubs can help their players, I don’t see a reason to add more punishment.

And for these players not caring about the HoF, I think that is one of your biggest biased comments along with making millions. Every player dreams of 2 things. The World Series and being elected into the HoF. The HoF is a great honor and recognized throughout the world of one person self achievement. These guys care about their careers just as much as we care about our own success. Again, they are humans.

That is the biggest load I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading. The players are human and not machines..what a load of crap. Each team has a medical staff that is payed to review whatever a player wants to put in their body’s if consulted by such player. How would you know they don’t test every player? Is it because of Rizzo stated he’s not tested..ps it’s a random system.
Please don’t compare PED use with these players to needing something for recovery and at the same time questioning the greats..by the way they traveled coach on trains. Please don’t bring up time zones and more travel because the players of the past spent more time in route to games by that transportation even though the teams were scattered closer in the east.

Just because you think they care about the HOF doesn’t make it so..it’s about the Benjamin’s. Don’t blame the league or the owners who are paying this guy for an example an exorbitant amount to play a game. Yes the harshest of penalties will solve the problem because the more who see what could happen would deter more from using. You threaten anyone’s livelihood and their sure to think twice along with others and if not bye by! Finally you come off as a blatant apologist because PED’s are not like musicians or actors using other drugs.

And you seriously think your “theory” is better and more appropriate? You are a biased mind and not thinking about how flawed this system is. Several big names have expressed their “lack” of PEDs testing. Your ramblings about how much they make, is not really compiling to the corruption or flaws in the PEDs testing. I begin to wonder if your jealousy of their wealth blinds you from the real matter on hand.

Travel does play a huge part in their physical endurance. Sometimes teams go 3 to 4 cities within 2 weeks. Travel by air is exhausting enough, but to do it multiple times in a course of a few weeks, would weigh heavy on the mind and body. These guys do this for 7+ months and then go out to compete everyday. Some fans (as you are the example) believe that with the millions they make, they can be abused physically and have no side effects. I have taken steroids on a few injuries I sustained. And they where medical treatments. Baseball forbids any type of steroid to treat injuries. In some cases, steroids are proven to be effective in treating muscle damages. So, these athletes try to find something as close (but legal) to listed PEDs they can find to help treat the injuries their bodies take.

Past players are subjective to PEDs as present and future players. Not only until the 90s that PEDs where known (Censco book) in baseball. So any of our greats could have used PEDs. It is just unknown because there was never a testing system during those times. Either way, these guys are humans. Quit treating them like robots or machines. The bleed the same color as you and I. They carry the same emotions and pain as we do. They are human. Humans make mistakes for the good or bad. Punishing them for trying to find a medical treatment, is unfair to them. Bruan or Marte have their reasons to be connected to PEDs. We will never understand why they did or do because we are not professional players.

MLB PED rules and bans are a joke until the teams and executives are punished along with players. The Team president needs to be suspended along with the player and the team should have to forfeit games where sanctioned players participate. This will create the incentive needed to police players and to avoid signing known criminals. Sterling Marte is a criminal and the Pirates who used him knowing he was using PEDs should forfeit the first 14 games played this year. F’ing cheaters.

He’s not a criminal. He broke a league rule, he didn’t murder someone. (See: NFL) It’s not even an illegal drug like marijuana (see: NFL), but it is banned and he is being punished according to the rules of the CBA. But if you think he is a criminal, you either don’t know what the word means or you have some other reason for falsely ascribing this word.

If you want to see criminals, I suggest you look at the guys who worked for the cardinals and are now in jail. They’re actual criminals.

Whether or not MLB improves and/or increases PED testing, it at least needs to tighten up the appeals process. The current (maximum) timetable for appealing a positive PED test (during which the player remains active):

-3 days for the testing administrator to inform parties of a positive test result
-7 days (after informing parties) to perform second test on sample to verify positive result
-3 days (after verification) for parties to confer about positive test
-10 days (if player appeals) for Arbitration Panel to convene
-25 days (after Panel hears case) for Panel to issue its decision
-5 days (if Panel sustains suspension) before suspension becomes effective for player

Total: up to 53 days

I’m all for doing due diligence and giving a player’s reps adequate time to prepare a defense, but 53 days seems exorbitant. For a situation like Marte’s, in particular, an appeal is a transparent delay/stall tactic. The Arbitration Panel cannot reduce the suspension of a player who tested positive for Nandrolone. Short of getting off on a technicality, Marte’s suspension was going to be 80 games from the moment it was verified during ST.

I’m a Pirates fan and I like Marte. But just once, I would like to hear a teammate or the manager say “Yeah, I’m really disappointed in him. His irresponsible decision basically just tanked our season. We can’t afford these kinds of ‘mistakes’.”